The present invention relates to dirt containers, for example debris bags suitable for use with a vacuum cleaner.
Vacuum cleaners are a pervasive and well-established appliance for commercial and residential floor care. A wide variety of vacuum cleaner configurations are available to suit the needs of a particular application or user, including upright vacuums, canister models, and hand-held models. A common element in almost all vacuum cleaner configurations is a vacuum cleaner bag.
A prior art vacuum cleaner bag 20, such as the general types disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,975 to Requejo et al., is shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner bag 20 includes a bag body 22 that has two enclosed ends 24 and an opening 26 that leads to an interior region (not shown) of the bag 20. A mounting plate 28, typically constructed of cardboard, has an aperture 30 therethrough and is attached to the bag body 22 such that the aperture 30 of the mounting plate 28 aligns with the opening 26. A flexible sealing gasket 32 forms a seal between the mounting plate 28 and the bag body 22, about the opening 26.
FIG. 2 shows the vacuum cleaner bag 20 of FIG. 1 partially installed in an upright vacuum cleaner 40. The upright vacuum cleaner 40 includes a base unit 42 and a closeable bag housing or outer bag 44 attached to a handle 46. The base unit 42 typically includes an electric motor for producing suction and for rotating one or more roller brushes that dislodge dirt and particulate from a floor surface. A dirty air duct 48 is coupled with the base unit 42 and projects into the outer bag 44.
As depicted in FIG. 2, the vacuum cleaner bag 20 is installed in the vacuum cleaner 40 by opening the outer bag 44 and inserting the vacuum cleaner bag 20 into the outer bag 44. The vacuum cleaner bag 20 is coupled to the dirty air duct 48 by inserting the duct 48 through the aperture 30 of the mounting plate 28, and through the gasket 32 into the opening 26. During operation of the vacuum cleaner 40, dirt and particulate is drawn by suction into the base unit 42 and discharged through the dirty air duct 48, and are deposited into the interior region of the bag. Eventually the bag becomes filled with the dirt and particulate. The filled vacuum cleaner bag 20 is removed from the duct 48 and from the outer bag 44, and a fresh vacuum cleaner bag 20 is installed.
Although desirable and beneficial results are achievable using the vacuum cleaner bag 20, some difficulties may be encountered. For example, allergens (e.g. pollen, fungi, etc.) and fine particulate (e.g dust, skin scale, etc.) can escape the bag and be exhausted out of the vacuum cleaner if the wrong size of bag is used, or if the bag is incorrectly aligned with the duct 48. After the bag has been filled, the allergens and fine particulate may become airborne within the bag and may escape from the opening 26 during removal, transport and disposal of the bag in a waste receptacle.
Also, the bag must be carefully handled during removal from the outer bag 44. Jostling of the bag during removal occasionally causes dirt and particulate to fall into the outer bag or onto the floor surface. As a result, additional labor must be expended to re-clean the floor surface or to clean the vacuum cleaner 40.
Furthermore, the bag must be carefully handled to prevent spillage of the contents after it has been removed from the outer bag 44. If the bag has been filled above the opening 26, the bag outer bag must be positioned to ensure that the opening 26 always faces upward. Even when the bag is not filled above the opening 26, the bag member 22 must be handled carefully so that the contents of the bag member 22 are not squeezed out of the opening 26.
In one aspect, a sealable bag includes a bag body having an opening sized to receive a dirty air stream in a vacuum cleaner, and a plate member attached to the bag body proximate the opening. The plate member is composed of at least first and second portions that are pivotable with respect to one another along a fold-line so that the first portion is engagable with the second portion to substantially seal the opening in the bag body. The first and second portions are pivotable between a closed position, substantially sealing the opening in the bag body, and an open position substantially providing access to an interior of the bag body.
The fold-line can be formed in the bag body, such that the bag body forms a hinge between the first and second portions, where the first and second portions are distinct, non-contiguous members. Alternatively, the fold-line can be formed in the plate member such that a portion of the plate member forms a hinge between the first and second portions, where the first and second portions are contiguous. An aperture can extend through the plate member, sized to receive the dirty air stream and at least partially aligned with the opening. In one aspect the fold-line intersects the aperture so that the first and second portions are hingeably coupled by a pair of hinge members. In another aspect, the fold-line does not intersect the aperture so that the first and second portions are hingeably coupled by a single hinge member. The plate member includes a back surface facing the bag body, that can be scored at least partially through to define the fold-line.
A tab formed on one side of the fold-line is engagable in a slot or notch formed on the other side to secure the plate member in a sealed or closed position when folded along the fold-line.
In another aspect, the plate member includes a complimentary alignment structure, sized and positioned to mate with an alignment structure on the vacuum. The complimentary alignment structure can ensure that only the proper sized bag is mounted to the vacuum cleaner, and can further ensure that the bag is properly aligned with the vacuum cleaner""s internal structure.